The 2009 tax certificate sale will take place on June 1, 2009. Bidders can review the list of properties and begin to submit bids starting on May 15, 2009. The sale will be conducted on the Tax Collector's tax certificate auction website, www.BidLeon.com .

While most bidders will access this site from their own computers, computer terminals are available for public use at our Carriage Gate Service Center located at 3425 Thomasville Road, Suite 19.

The sale will be advertised in the Tallahassee Democrat on May 14, May 21 and May 28, 2009. Copies of the Delinquent Tax Sale List will be available at each of the Tax Collector's Customer Service Centers and on www.BidLeon.com.

You must log on to www.BidLeon.com and complete the following steps before submitting bids:

a) Obtain a User ID and password using the Register button on www.BidLeon.com (if not already complete)

b) Complete IRS Form W-9

c) Receive your bidder number assignment

d) No deposits are required for participation in the tax certificate sale

Note: Registered bidders must provide their Federal Taxpayer Identification number or Social Security number. Only one bidder per Taxpayer ID Number will be allowed to register.

To clearly define the Tax Certificates being sold, the following information will be listed on the web site Bid Page:

• The numerical advertised number,
• The property identification number (PIN), and
• The face value of the certificate.

Tax certificates will be sold in the order advertised. Each item will be bid separately, as it is unlawful for certificates to be sold in any form of rotation.

A list of the tax certificates purchased will be available on the Results Page on the www.BidLeon.com site. Individual tax certificates will not be issued; in its place, a list of certificates sold to each purchaser will be issued. Upon notification by the Tax Collector that the listing is ready and upon payment of the final balance due on the tax certificate(s) purchased, payment must be made via ACH Debit on the www.BidLeon.com web site. Payments not made in a timely manner may cause the bidder(s) exclusion from future tax certificate sales in Leon County. Should a bidder fail to pay for the certificates he/she has purchased, those certificates will be struck to the County.

CAUTION: This is NOT a sale of land. Rather, what is being sold is a lien for the amount of delinquent taxes plus interest and cost.

SALE PARTICIPANTS BEWARE:  The purchase of a priority lien tax certificate offered for sale by any Florida County Tax Collector is not a guaranteed investment.

Prior history indicates that occurrences may arise, or be in effect, that could reduce or eliminate the dollar value attributed to any given tax certificate. The following possibilities, though not inclusive, are some of the non-cost recoverable circumstances that may surface:

• The property owner could file bankruptcy.
• The assessed value on the parcel by the Property Appraiser may be in error and not subject to retroactive correction when the problem is discovered.
• The legal parcel identity may be a condominium within a group of buildings that are later condemned or destroyed, leaving the tax certificate purchaser with a 1/4th to 1/8th ownership tax lien on a relatively small vacant property.
• The parcel may have had a mobile home on it at the time of tax certificate sale which is subsequently removed or destroyed, leaving the property vacant.
• The parcel may have had an assessed structure, or wood frame home that subsequently is burned down or condemned and destroyed.

Finally, there is absolutely no guarantee that by purchasing a tax certificate you will be successful in eventually acquiring the property. Generally, in the very few instances where a tax certificate holder applies for a tax deed application after at least two years have expired from April 1st of the year the certificate was issued, and the taxes are not paid by the owner or an entity with a financial interest, another group of real estate investors participate in the noticed public tax deed auction that eventually is conducted by the Clerk of Court.

Buyers of Tax Certificates do not bid on the property, but bid on the percentage of interest their money will earn, starting at 18% and bidding down. Bids are accepted in even increments and in fractional increments of 1/4 percentage points only. No interest is earned on "0" bids.

IMPORTANT: Certificate(s) will be issued in the name listed on the bidder's IRS Form W-9. If changes are requested on bid items after the sale, a $2.25 transfer fee on each certificate is required. It is required that a Social Security Number or a Federal Identification Number be furnished on the IRS Form W-9, as all interest earned is required to be reported to the Internal Revenue Service.

In accordance with Section 197.502(1), F.S., the holder of any tax certificate (other than the county), at any time after two years have elapsed since April 1 of the year of issuance of the tax certificate and before the expiration of seven years from the date of issuance, may file the certificate and an application for a tax deed with the Tax Collector's Office. The property would then be offered at a public auction conducted by the Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court. The holder of the Certificate may bid along with any other interested party if so desired.

No certificate will be sold at public auction on property that has been granted a homestead exemption and has less than $100.00 in delinquent taxes owing. When a tax deed application is made on property assessed on the latest tax roll as homestead property, the opening bid shall include an amount equal to one-half of the assessed value of the homestead property as listed on the current year's tax roll in addition to other taxes, interest and cost paid in connection with the tax deed application. According to Chapter 197.542, F.S. if a homestead property is brought to tax deed sale and no bids are received that are higher than the required opening bid explained above, then the land shall be struck off and sold to the certificate holder, who shall pay the documentary stamp and recording fees due to the Clerk of the Circuit Court. At that time, a tax deed shall be issued to the applicant and duly recorded in the official records of the County by the Clerk.

When a certificate has been redeemed, the holder is entitled to the face value plus whatever interest has been earned on the amount of the face value at the time of redemption. The redemption is handled in the Tax Collector's Office. Checks for the amount of the redemption monies are written weekly and remitted to the effected certificate holder(s). According to Section 197.172(2) F.S., tax certificates earn interest starting June 1, 2009.

Tax Sale Certificates canceled or corrected due to an error of any County Official shall earn interest at the rate of 8% per annum, simple interest, or the rate of interest bid at the tax certificate sale, whichever is less, calculated from the month following the date the Tax Sale Certificate was purchased.

According to Section 197.552, F.S., a lien of record held by a municipal or county government unit, shall survive the issuance of a Tax Deed if not satisfied as of the disbursement of proceeds of sale.

The offer or sale of vacant residential lots or parcels in a subdivision may be subject to the Land Sales Practices requirements of Chapter 498, Florida Statutes, and may require you to be registered with Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Division of Florida Land Sales, Condominiums and Mobile Homes.

As a point of information, an individual who is not a developer is allowed to buy a tax deed for only one lot in a planned subdivision for the purpose of resale. Section 498.025(1), Florida Statutes states:" The provisions of this chapter do not apply to: (a) the offer or disposition of an interest in subdivided lands by a purchaser for his or her own account in a single isolated transaction."

The Bureau of Florida Land Sales has stated that its concerns are with providing disclosure to persons who are successful bidders; and who after two years apply for a tax deed, and who at the courthouse public auction obtain multiple tax deeds, for the purpose of resale to multiple purchasers.

A seller of lots in property subdivided or proposed to be subdivided into 50 lots or more is required to be registered with the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Division of Florida Land Sales, Condominiums, and Mobile Homes. Also, if a certificate holder purchases 5 certificates in subdivision that contains 25 or more lots, and eventually obtained 5 tax deeds, he would be subject to the provisions of Section 498.022, Florida Statutes, regarding standards for transacting land sales. Therefore, it is recommended that, when purchasing certificates on lots or parcels in a subdivision, the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Division of Florida Land Sales, condominiums, and Mobile Homes be contacted at (850) 488-1631 to ascertain your responsibility with regard to subsequent sales transactions of lots in that subdivision.

If you have any questions regarding this sale, please call (800)410-3445.

The Tax Collector reserves the right to modify, add and delete information and policies related to the process and procedures of the Tax Certificate Sale as may be deemed necessary or required by law.